Hybrid Zone Recognition (24 page)

After we’d eaten our fill, which was a surprising amount, Adam led us to a small stream where we washed up. Still plagued by embarrassment, I avoided eye contact with him.

“Macy.”

“What?” I asked dejectedly.

“Look at me.” He took my chin in his hand, forcing me to meet his eyes. There was no humor in them now, only concern. “It’s okay. Your first experiences with the leopard DNA can be overwhelming or frightening.” He let go of my chin but still maintained eye contact. “It’s normal and with practice you will be able to control it.”

He looked down, his mouth pulling into a frown. “At least they didn’t starve you and set you lose in a chicken coup.” He met my eyes again with a look on his face that said “top that.”

“Wait, what?” I asked in confusion.

“Oh, yeah,” he said, walking backwards. “It was me and about a hundred chickens. I didn’t even bother to de-feather them.” He pivoted and continued walking. “Leopard DNA or not, that was a bathroom nightmare.”

There was an image I wished I didn’t have. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the visual. Starting forward to join him, I asked, “Why were you munching down on chickens?”

“It was part of my training to hunt and eat. I could kill anything, but I couldn’t force myself to eat it. So, they left me no choice. They locked me in a room until I was half starved to death. Then they put me in the chicken coup.”

“And you tore into the chickens?”

“No. I still resisted. Until they cut the head off of one of the chickens. As soon as I smelled the blood, I was a goner. Haven’t much cared for chicken since.”

That was harsh. Both the whole event and his aversion towards chicken. “Wait a minute,” I said, stumbling to a halt. “You knew that was going to happen to me?”

He stopped and faced me. “I knew you would have a reaction. I didn’t know you were going to claim my hand as your dinner plate,” he said mockingly.

“You still could have warned me,” I chided.

“What would you have done?” he asked pointedly. “It affects you however it affects you. You just happened to be a little more,” he paused for dramatic effect, regarding me through his eyelashes, “risqué than most.”

At my groan, he laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “So, was I finger licking good?” he asked smugly.

Oh brother, he was never going to let this go. Just once I’d like this stuff to happen to him instead of me.

Our trip back to the hollow was made in relative silence. Except for the numerous times he interrupted with his snickering. I finally decided to let the embarrassment go. I couldn’t change it, and if it had happened to someone else, like Miranda, I would have been laughing my butt off.

That brought a smile to my face. Enjoying someone else’s embarrassing moments? Nothing like it.

We were approaching the hollow, when Adam stopped abruptly and put an arm out to hold me back. Peering over his arm, I saw what had stopped him. The yard surrounding the cabin was swarming with people dressed in hazmat looking suits.

I’m guessing those aren’t Organization people.

Consortium,
Adam answered tightly.

What we suspected had just became a known fact. Someone on our team was a traitor.

Have they spotted us?
I asked.

Not yet. But they are looking. See the two gathered at the water pump?

I searched for the spot he was specifying.

That’s an infrared detector. As soon as they aim it this way, they’ll know where we are.

What do we do?

Back away slowly. No sudden movements to draw their attention.

I begin to edge backwards.
To the ATV?

Yes.

We’d covered about half the distance to the ATV when we heard voices raised in alarm.
Run!
Adam commanded and leapt into a sprint. I followed right behind him, and we reached the ATV in what seemed like an impossibly short amount of time.

Throwing the cover branches aside, Adam pulled the ATV out and hopped on. I piled on after and wrapped myself around him. Once we crested the ridge, we could see the solid wall of flames approaching. Our quick getaway was forced to a halt.

I could sense the tension in Adam as he once again sought escape from the Consortium’s flames. They’d learned since last time. The wall of flames was a complete circle this time

We can’t drive through, right?

No.

I studied the flames. They were primarily on the lower half of the trees.
What about up and over? Can this thing climb trees? Or can we?

We might be able to
, he admitted slowly,
but you have no experience at it.

I leaned in, hugging him closer.
Right the first time
,
remember?
I could feel his hesitation. I suspected he’d already considered this and rejected it because of me.
It’s our only option,
Adam.

He acknowledged the truth by becoming all business. “Get off,” he said. “Remove your shoes.”

I slid off and bent over coughing. Smoke was starting to filter in around us. “I’ve never shifted on purpose,” I told him as I sat and started pulling off my shoes.

He joined me on the ground. “What about during the hunt?”

“That just happened involuntarily.”

“Well, it’s not hard. It’s the reverse of pulling it back. Just see your claws pushing through rather than retracting.”

I grimaced at his description. It sounded painful. But I did what he said and was rewarded by their none too painful appearance. Wiggling my toes, I had only one thought. Yuck. This was way beyond needing a pedicure.

“Tie your shoelaces together,” he said.

I tied them together and slung my shoes over my shoulders.

Adam stood and walked a few feet away to a large tree. He looked back at me and said, “Use your claws to grip the tree.” His hands mimicked his words. “Jam your toes in to hold you up and use your hands to pull.” Adam’s ears swiveled.

I could hear them too. I scrambled off the ground and joined him by the tree.

“We’ll try to climb above the smoke and then start angling sideways.” Positioning me in front of the tree trunk, he said, “Now.”

I kicked my foot into the trunk and was surprised when it stuck. The next kick was higher. Reaching up, I forced the claws on my hands into the wood and pulled myself up. I moved right hand over left and opposite hand with the opposite leg. Except for the feeling that my toenails were going to be ripped off at any moment, it was pretty easy.

We ascended the tree, making it to the cover of the branches, before they made it to our left behind ATV. I could hear their vehicles and shouts below as they searched for us.

Adam led the way, moving us from tree to tree. If the rising temperature was any indication, we were getting close to the flames. The branches themselves were starting to be warm to the touch. I hadn’t considered that factor when suggesting this idea.

A high pitched whistle split the air, and I pressed my hands to my ears. I strained to hear what was happening and heard enough bits of conversation to know that they had figured out we were in the trees.

I enfolded my face into my elbow as I coughed loudly. We needed to climb higher, but I didn’t think the branches would hold our weight.

Keep going,
Adam urged.

I wiped away sweat dripping from my forehead into my eyes and reached for the next branch. My hand slipped, and I nearly fell. It seemed the sweat was mixing with all the grime just enough to make my hands slippery. Hearing Adam’s sharp intake of breath, I quickly righted myself.

I’m okay
, I assured him while I wiped my hands off.

I froze as a dart whistled in the distance between me and Adam. They were shooting at us now?

With a new sense of urgency, I quickly caught up to Adam. He was perched at the end of the branch, staring at the six foot gap to the next tree.

Another dart planted in the tree above our heads, and we both ducked. How could they even see us with all this smoke? And weren’t they concerned about being caught in the fire?

Adam buried a cough before saying,
You can make this.

I wasn’t so sure. But like so many other things in my recent history, I was going to do it anyway.

You first,
I said. I wanted to see how he got across.

He crouched and shot forward. He grasped the intended branch with his hands and then swung his legs up and over. It was a very graceful maneuver that he made look easy.

I wasn’t expecting to perform anything near as pretty.

Crouching as close to the end of the branch as I could, I was just about to leap when a sharp stinging erupted in my right bicep. I turned and saw the dart sticking out of my arm.

“NO!” Adam yelled, confirming our location.

A barrage of darts blanketed the air between us, forcing Adam to stay back. I could immediately sense his anger with himself for his slip.

“Macy, hold on,” he pleaded.

I pulled the dart out, but I could already feel the effects of the drugs in my system. I turned the dart absently between my fingers. Completely irrelevant to my current situation, I wondered what drug they were using in the dart. I’d never been able to find one that worked on Kenny. I looked up in time to see Adam preparing to jump.

Adam, No!

I dropped the dart and gripped the branch to keep from falling. Everything was starting to sway, including Adam’s angry face.

You can’t rescue me if you’re captured or dead. If you show yourself, that’s what you’ll be.

I didn’t think he was going to listen to me, but then I saw him move away from the edge of the limb. I tried to brace myself on the branch, but my hand must have missed, and I face planted into the limb.

Macy!
Adam cried as he witnessed my slip.

Tilting my head so that I could see his face, I tried to reassure him.
I’ll be okay. They want me for something. That means alive.

Adam pressed his back against the trunk in an effort to avoid another volley of darts. I felt another sting as one of the darts found a home in my thigh. My eyelids were so heavy. I couldn’t resist closing them.

I will find you!
Adam snarled.

The power of his determination filled me, and I forced my eyes open. The look on his face echoed the feeling inside of me, telling me clearly that he would.

As the drug’s hold over me grew, my grip on the tree loosened. I listed to one side, the weight of my legs pulling them free of the branch. I was left grasping with only my fingertips. Staring into his eyes, I found courage that replaced my fear.

He nodded,
I will find you.

It was almost a whisper, but it had the strength of iron. I held on to his strength. He would find me. I knew he would.

I’m counting on it,
I said weakly.

The anguish on his face was the last thing I saw before my fingers lost their grip.

Chapter 16

T
he sensation of falling wrapped
around me like a thick blanket. I was tangled in it, having to fight and claw my way free. I pushed layer after layer aside until I became aware of pain. It played like the rhythm of a drumbeat. One strong beat followed by one soft, repeated over and over again. It was to that rhythm that I opened my eyes.

It was dark. I was tempted to close my eyes again, but the pain wouldn’t let me. I realized the drumbeat was centered along my face and neck. I thought that might have something to do with the contorted position I was laying in.

I pushed myself upright and blinked several times as I tried to clear my mind. I reached up to rub my neck, but withdrew my hand quickly when my touch caused a sharp stinging sensation. Reaching up again, I carefully traced a slightly raised diamond pattern in my skin. It covered my right cheek and extended down the same side of my neck.

Where did that come from? I hoped I wasn’t developing spots like a leopard. It felt like it had been burned into my skin. What left a diamond patterned burn? Had I been branded?

I fought with the fog in my brain as I tried to recall how I had gotten here. Slowly, the memories came.

We had been trying to escape. There were trees and fire…I snapped my head up sharply, the memory of Adam’s face as I fell filling in the blank.

Adam!

His response was immediate.
Macy! Are you alright?

I checked myself over for any other injuries. Now recalling my fall from the tree, I assumed the burn was from my collision with the mesh of a net. As I’d never gone head first into one from forty feet up before, I couldn’t say for sure.

I think so. Just got a little too friendly with a net.

His relief slammed into to me, causing me to gasp a little with the weight of it.

Easy there tiger
, I breathed and leaned back against my enclosure for support. I sensed his momentary confusion before he figured it out.

Sorry,
he whispered.
Where are you?

I looked around.
It’s dark. I think I’m in a box. I’m gift wrapped.

Concentrate, Macy.
Adam’s irritation came through our bond loud and clear.

Hey! You’re not the one with cotton in your brain,
I fired back.

Just tell me what you see,
he urged more gently. He was still irritated, but he eased up some with the emotion.

I ran my hands against the sides of my container. It felt smooth against my hands.
I think it’s metal.
I noticed a pool of light on the floor and traced it to a small window.
There’s a little window.
Coming to my knees, I looked out the four by eight inch cutout.
We are still in the woods. There are lots of trees. That’s all I see.

Can you hear anything?

I closed my eyes and listened.
There’s a repetitive sound. A sort of roaring. Like something slapping water, maybe?

A paddlewheel?

I don’t know. I can’t see anything but trees.
I sat back against the box as a wave of nausea rolled over me.
Are you okay?

Yes. Cedars showed up. Miranda is beside herself. Cedars has his hands full trying to calm her down.

She’s a bit of a drama queen,
I agreed groggily. Footsteps signaled someone’s approach.
Someone’s coming.

Be careful, Macy,
Adam pleaded.

Aren’t I always?

Wherever he was, his sigh travelled all the way across the distance.

Hey, it’s not like I keep signing up for this stuff,
I said defensively.

Maybe not, but you’re like a lure for trouble. You just keep reeling it in.

That was kind of like my shovel and digging analogy. Sadly, I couldn’t disagree with his assessment.

I heard the click of a lock, and I pressed against the opposite end of my prison. The side with the window opened and a voice called, “Please join us, Dr. Greer.”

I took a moment to slip on my shoes still hanging around my neck before scooting forward and out of the cage. Standing up, I brought my hand up to shield my eyes from the light.

I was met by a tall, skinny man with slicked back hair the color of glossy black ink. He was dressed like he was on safari in Africa during the 1930s. He even had the tan kerchief tied around his neck. All he was missing was the hat. But that would have mussed his hair, and I had the distinct feeling he wouldn’t have liked that.

“The famous Dr. Greer,” he said mockingly.

“Famous?” I repeated while scanning the area directly in front of me. Adam had guessed correctly. There was a paddlewheel and possibly a mill. I passed that information on to Adam. To slick, I asked, “Have we met?”

“You haven’t had the pleasure,” he informed me with his face stretched wide to accommodate his smile.

Yeah, that was creepy, and pleasure was not the word I would use.

He frowned as though he understood what I was thinking. “I’m Arthur Millsap,” he said, like I should recognize the name.

When he continued looking at me expectantly, I responded with, “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“How remiss of your friends,” he sneered softly, momentarily losing the false smile. “I’m the President of the Consortium.”

Before I could respond to his pronouncement, the wind shifted, and I almost gagged. “What is that smell?” I asked from beneath my hands which I’d reflexively brought up to cover my nose and mouth.

He looked around the area, clearly scorning what he saw. “That would be the many paper mills that dot this river.” He looked back at me, and his smile reappeared as he watched my struggle with my gag reflex. “You grow accustomed to it,” he offered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Uugh. Why would you want to?

I’m somewhere that has a lot of paper mills, next to a river. The smell is terrible.

You’re doing great, Macy. Keep looking.

I tried breathing through my mouth to keep from gagging. It helped a little.

“You said you were with the Consortium? The one in support of hybrid proliferation?” As I talked, I searched the river for mills, looking for a name or town. Anything to help Adam find me.

“So, you do know of us?” he said delightedly.

“That’s all I know about you,” I threw out quickly.

My retort served to throw some water on his fire, causing his hundred watt smile to dim a fraction. I knew I wasn’t making all nice with him, but pretending had never really been my strong suit. Staying alive, however, seemed to be, and I knew I was going to have to do better than this to keep that going.

Surely, I could pretend long enough for Adam to find me. I could act like…what? A wimp? That wouldn’t work. Coward? No way. Submissive. That was how I needed to appear to appease his ego.

I almost laughed out loud at my conclusion. When had I ever been submissive? I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Maybe I could just keep him talking. In the movies Miranda made me watch, the villains always loved to talk.

“Why are you in favor of everyone becoming a hybrid?” I asked.

He was pleased by my question and launched into quite an extensive monologue. He was so into it, I didn’t think he cared if I was listening or not.

Tuning him out, I focused on my search and spotted something blue further up in the trees. It was a sign. I just barely made out the faded lettering, Blue Ridge.

We’re next to what used to be Blue Ridge Paper Mill.

Elation zinged through our bond, making me a little woozy. I put my hand against the nearest tree in order to keep myself upright. Millsap was still fully engaged in his speech and didn’t notice my wobble.

We got you. Just hold on, Mace.

Yeah, I was holding. I would like to hold on to a stick while I knocked slick upside the head. Or a gun. Then I would only have to pull the trigger. That would take less effort on my part.

Macy, you need to let up a little.

Well, which is it, Adam? Hold on or let up? They are mutually exclusive,
I snapped at him. Almost immediately, I regretted my retort.
Sorry. It’s kind of been a long week. I’m just cranky.

So, everything’s normal is what you’re saying.

Very funny, Catman.

Glad you think so. But seriously, Macy, it won’t be long.

I glanced around the campgrounds. There were guards posted along the perimeter approximately every twenty feet or so.

I’m not going anywhere just yet. There are guards posted around the perimeter.

As if that could hold you.

I smiled at Adam’s confidence in me. The crazy thing was, even though I might not have had confidence in myself to accomplish such an escape, I knew that I would absolutely do it anyway if given the chance.

Millsap’s rising volume drew my attention back to him.

“…because it’s time for the human species to evolve, Dr. Greer.” He thought my smile was for him. Encouraged at my presumed interest, he became more animated, making great sweeping gestures with his arms. “To leave behind all the petty squabbles associated with beliefs in false Gods.”

It was hard not to stare in open disbelief.
Millsap is insane,
I informed Adam.

He is a few fries short.

More than a few. I’m betting he opted for fruit.
Who chose fruit with a hamburger? Unless it was deep fried.

A maniacal grin lit his face as he continued gibbering on in his grand finale. “…to embrace progress and reform and establish a civilized world culture.”

And he thought this would happen by turning everyone into animals? Cue the crazy person music. How did I segue from that?

“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “Are you a hybrid?”

He spread his arms and lifted his chin as the shift overtook him. Pincers emerged from his mouth, and antennae grew from his forehead.

My eyes involuntarily widened in horror.

Macy, what’s wrong?

I was speechless as the freak show continued. Another pair of arms, segmented like an insect’s, grew from his sides.

He’s a bug, Adam. A giant freaking bug!

I take it, you don’t like bugs?

No, I don’t like bugs!
I screeched at him.

I wanted to run away as fast as I could or pound it until it was dead. I couldn’t control the shift that raced through my body.

Okay, Mace. Keep it under control. I’m almost there.

He wasn’t quite laughing, but he couldn’t entirely hide his amusement. It made me mad to think he was laughing at me, and that made the fear subside a little. Enough, so that I wasn’t going to react out of panic. I knew I had to maintain control. Showing weakness in the presence of an enemy never ended well.

I planted my feet like they were in cement. I would not give in to fear. I hadn’t ruled out fighting yet, but I was not running.

Millsap regarded me through insectoid eyes and then slowly began to shift back. Observing my shifted form, he said, “It seems like we have something in common.”

I had to play this to my advantage. Realizing my breaths were coming in short gasps, I deliberately slowed my breathing. My lips I forced into a smile, but careful, so as not to show so much teeth as to look threatening.

“It looks like we do,” I said, being extra careful not to cut myself with my own teeth.

He must have bought it. Without the slightest concern, he turned and started walking towards a row of tents.

Did I appear totally incapable of attacking anyone? I was getting tired of people turning their backs on me, dismissing me as a threat. True, I didn’t have any experience fighting in this form, but I was more than willing to practice on him.

“Do come along, Dr. Greer,” Millsap called.

My whole body felt hot as anger flushed through me. He was addressing me like I was a child and not an equal. I hated it.

Be submissive. Who was I kidding? I didn’t know how to be submissive. What was submissive anyway? It was weak and useless. Submissive my—

Why are you thinking submissive?
Adam questioned.

I am not submissive!
I growled at him.

You don’t have to tell me,
he laughed.
But you are currently outmanned and outgunned. Be smart.

I took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. Why did making paper have to smell so bad? But Adam was right, and there was no point in staying put. I moved forward, following Millsap at what I considered a safe distance.

“You’re a lot more accepting of this than I was led to believe,” Millsap said when I caught up.

Who was leading him to believe anything about me? That was what I had to find out.

“I haven’t observed an appreciable bad side to being a hybrid,” I told him. That was true, if I ignored my newly discovered urge to kill.

He stopped walking when he reached the last tent. “Too bad your friends don’t feel the same.”

A feeling of dread enveloped me when I realized what was coming. “I wasn’t aware that they felt any different,” I said hesitantly. “They’ve never given me any indication that they thought otherwise.” I mentally braced myself as he reached for the tent flap.

“Interesting,” he drawled, pulling it aside. “I have found them to be most disagreeable.” His eyes were firmly fixed on me, waiting for me to look through the portal he had created.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight of Olivia and Juarez in the middle of the tent. Stretched high above their heads, metal manacles secured their arms to tent posts that travelled from floor to ceiling. They were bruised and bloodied and unconscious.

I involuntarily took a few steps into the tent. The urge to run to them was strong, but I stayed where I was. Placing my hands on my hips, I rifled through the damage done to them. I was sure my face registered my shock. I was not that good an actress.

Millsap entered and stood beside me. “Don’t fret, Dr. Greer,” he encouraged. “They are healing quite nicely.”

From my peripheral vision, I could tell there was a large grin of approval stretched across his face. It was completely opposite the disgust I felt. Then the disgust turned into something else. I felt oddly separated from what was going on. I was still there. I knew that I was. But it felt different. Maybe it was some sort of survival instinct, allowing me to function in the face of horror.

“And then, we can start again,” he sang softly.

The glee in his voice at that prospect was unmistakable. Though I doubted he would dirty his hands with the task, he clearly enjoyed watching. Sick, evil, sadistic—